Star Trek and the Three Weeks

Losing our "mother ship," we are all vulnerable.

Two weeks ago I realized that I was a grownup. Even after marriage and two kids I still would pass by high schools and not believe that I was considerably older than the inhabitants. Since I have been told that I look somewhat younger than my years, I could still keep up the façade that I was in my early twenties, and was happy to do so. But after the events two weeks ago, I realized that my inner core was much older than my outer shell appeared.

It was my husband's birthday. My parents had generously agreed to watch our kids while we had a much needed night out. Usually my husband and I went to dinner on our occasional dates but for his birthday I wanted to do something unique. I knew that he was the brother of a Trekkie and would love to see the new Star Trek film out in theaters. I figured that the movie, based on a relatively innocent television storyline, wouldn't have too much objectionable content.

We got to the theater late and were surrounded by young people in their teens and early twenties. It looked like a lighthearted scene and, with my body bone tired due to a sleepless baby and my mind mottled with the ever present worries about our children, already I started to feel out of place. I smiled at my husband and tried to relax.

I stared at the screen in horror, saddened and shaken to the core.

We settled into our seats just as Star Trek began. It starts out innocently with a ship cruising through space, policing the galaxy for other unwanted vessels. And then, within the span of five minutes, a war breaks out between the protagonist ship and an enemy vessel, tens of people are killed, a baby is born and his father simultaneously dies a brutal death as he performs a suicide mission. I stared at the screen in horror, saddened and shaken to the core.

The rest of the film passed by in a blur. Some parts were entertaining but every time another person was killed, which occurred often, I felt like crying.

As we exited the theater my husband and I schmoozed about the movie. We both felt a little dizzy from the close quarters, loud noise, and bright screen but were otherwise in good spirits. But on the ride home and for hours afterwards I felt a nagging unease and found my mind wandering back to the violent scenes in the film.

After I analyzed the demise of the poor young father for the nth time, I tried to pinpoint what was really bothering me. Having been a film major in college (I did my thesis on war films), I should have been used to people dying in movies. And then I realized what was troubling me, what separated me from the blissful ignorance of youth -- I no longer felt invincible.

Recently I was reading an article about where the most scholarly high-school graduates in our area were planning on attending college. It highlighted a young man who was particularly gifted in art, dubbing him the next Andy Warhol. "A true prodigy," the article gushed. And then I thought about my own career endeavors as a youth, wanting to become the youngest writer to have her screenplay produced in Hollywood, dreaming of being the next Doogie Howser in the veterinary world, and I thought to myself, "I will never be a prodigy." The cute childhood statement "When I grow up" had suddenly disappeared and in its place was real, grownup, life. I had finally begun to internalize the transitory nature of human existence.

With each death I faced on screen, I thought about my own mortality.

Life had become a precious commodity, one which changes in a moment. So while the director of the film threw people into blazing fires and off spaceships with careless abandon, I was struck by each blow. It was such a tragedy, I thought, a loss of human potential. No one would ever be born exactly like them. And with each death I faced on screen, I thought about my own mortality. Was I maximizing the time I have on earth?

We are entering a time in the Jewish calendar when we are forced to reckon with the ephemeral nature of life -- the three weeks and the Tisha B'Av when the Temple was destroyed. The presence of the Beit Hamikdash, the resting place of the Shechinah, or God's presence, brought countless blessings on the Jewish people and an added source of protection -- it was our "mother ship." With its destruction, the Jewish people became all the more vulnerable to spiritual and physical attack. During these three weeks, numerous tragedies befell the Jews causing countless deaths -- invaluable souls were extinguished from this world.

I keep on reminding myself that the people killed in Star Trek are just actors. Their dramatic demises would have been followed by a "cut!" and hours scrubbing off the sci-fi makeup. But in our world, our own existence is usually far less dramatic. It is up to us, with the help of our Creator, to create the beauty, the excitement -- to strive to reach our potential with our limited time. Only then can we, in the words of first officer Spock, truly "Live long and prosper."

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About the Author

Hilary Spirer Leeder is a writer and a guidance counselor at the Torah School in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her articles have appeared in a number of publications. An essay was featured in the book Everyone’s Got a Story, published by Judaica Press. Mrs. Leeder obtained an MSW degree from NYU and a BA degree in film from Columbia University. She lives with her husband and children in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Visitor Comments: 14

(14)
Ron,
July 14, 2010 12:17 PM

missed parallels

Actually, the star trek movie is closer to our tisha b'av then the author seems to have realised. The movie is about the threat of losing your home planet; for the vulcan race in that movie not only their symbolic, but very much their spiritual world, where they have their council of elders, their religion is focused on, and on who's planet wisdom is fostered. They are faced with the threat of exile into a cold universe that is quite unlike them, and might never truly accept them; all because of the sole survivor of their greatest enemy nation: the Romulans. There are so many paralllels to the destruction of our temple and our exile that one could wonder whether these parallels were intentional. The vulcans, in star trek hailed as great ambassadors, have heeded Yeremiyahu's call: to "Seek the peace of the city where I have exiled you and pray for it "

(13)
Anonymous,
June 23, 2010 7:28 AM

Everyone seems to agree that this is what sells. The question is: Will YOU be the one to buy?

(12)
Anonymous,
July 29, 2009 2:17 PM

Filtering Our Media Experience

We should indeed recognize when we choose to watch popular media that they are produced to turn a profit and will appeal to our id which is fascinated by violence and mayhem. If any statistics were necessary to make this point, we might note that seventy percent of movies have a scene in which a gun figures in the plot.

(11)
name,
July 25, 2009 11:04 PM

"hollywood is living in fantasy. i guess that's what sells though.... "
Well yes. It's a way of escaping from reality. From the daily grind and having to pay lots of bills. It can also be, sometimes, a way of watching the battle of good vs evil and knowing that good will eventually come out on top, something that can be lost sight of with all the negative news stories in the media.

(10)
Anonymous,
July 22, 2009 10:51 PM

What is truly important?

When we were young we thought we'd live forever. Strange how life throws us a curve ball called reality. The reality of T.V. and Hollywood is not real. What is really important is our relationship with G-D, our spouse ,our children and then the rest of our family and friends. I undestand how you feel about these movies and the reality of how precious life is. Violence is a seller what a pity. Shalom

(9)
Anonymous,
July 22, 2009 9:05 PM

nice article

I feel grown up too, and I'm enjoying it. Living in the moment is an exciting and intense adventure. We don't know what will come next, but God is with us.

(8)
craig,
July 21, 2009 6:58 PM

i agree

after my wife and i had children we became very aware of the gratuitous violence and cruelty in the "humor" of movie scripts. now that we have life experence, we see how unrealistic and absurd the characters' and their actions are. Now we go to maybe 3 or 4 a year, mostly documentaries.
hollywood is living in fantasy. i guess that's what sells though....

(7)
Anonymous,
July 20, 2009 9:54 AM

i know exctly what you mean!

It's so true - after having been married and especially after having children I found myself feeling so vulnerable and reduced to raw emotions by the same scenes that would not have much affect on me as a teenager. Yes! It's all a part of growing up and learning to value and appreciate human relationships and the value of human life!

(6)
Nolwando Gwija,
July 20, 2009 7:36 AM

Great story!!

Life is indeed a precious commodity!!

(5)
Esta,
July 20, 2009 12:28 AM

Wonderfu Story

I still see you as that beautiful young lady, an ageless inspiration. Your vivid writing makes your thought come alive, I love it.

(4)
Anonymous,
July 19, 2009 10:44 PM

Bravo!!

Very well done. Sometiems it is really all about growing up.

(3)
Danny,
July 19, 2009 9:43 PM

Gd's mercy

I guess when you spend a life time with out Gd in ones life. Death can be a scary thing. Maybe that's why young people have no real concept of immortality other then what they see on TV. It took Abraham a life time to understand faith. It really comes down to watching evil stuff happening in the world and knowing that the Gd of Abraham is an assume Gd both for Jews & gentils.

(2)
Randye Wolf Lucido,
July 19, 2009 3:35 PM

Sensitive and perceptive article about coming to terms with one's mortality- not an easy thing to do, regardless how old we are.

(1)
HARRIS SACHS,
July 19, 2009 2:24 PM

Great and Thoughtful article....

What an insightful perspective on this topic. Look forward to future articles from Ms. Leeder.